I do it this way:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=opensearch&search=bee&limit=1&format=json
The response you get is an array with the data, easy to parse:
[
"bee",
[
"Bee"
],
[
"Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the European honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax."
],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee"
]
]
To get just the first paragraph limit=1
is what you need.